A question I get asked often is “Are your books safe for the whole family?”
Second to that is, “What ages are your books for?”
The answer is, it depends on the book and the age of the reader. I write fantasy novels for the whole family, but I realize that not all families have the same values as my family. And while I have written books for a wide variety of readers by age, this doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing to every family or every reader. Some readers might read books far above their reading level but not be ready for certain types of content, while other readers might object to nothing. But age isn’t the best determining factor either. One 16-year-old reader might have completely different perspective and sensitivities than another. In that same vein, adults are triggered by a wide variety of issues. What bothers one might not bother another.
That said, the first thing I want readers to know is that you will find no swearing, no spicy romance scenes, and no gratuitous violence in any of my books. That doesn’t mean some of my books don’t include more mature subject matter. I just take care how I write such scenes. I also write from a Christian worldview. That doesn’t mean every book I write has overt Christian content, but it is part of who I am, and my perspective comes out in my writing.
To help readers gain a better understanding about my books and their content, I have created my own rating system similar to what the Motion Picture Association uses for rating films. My ratings are age recommendations solely based on subject matter. This way, readers will know what kind of content they can expect in my books up front. Here are my book ratings:
8+ These books are suitable for young children. I also include nonfiction books in this category, since there is no questionable content in my nonfiction books.
10 + These books are similar to a PG rating. They may contain crude humor, violence, horror, flirtations, or coming-of-age morality topics. (These are often middle grade novels.)
12 + These books are similar to a mild PG-13 rating. They may contain mild crude humor, violence, horror, flirtations, kissing, sensuality, or coming-of-age morality topics. (These are often young adult novels.)
16 + These books would fall between a moderate PG-13 to a low R rating. They may contain moderate crude humor, violence, horror, substance abuse, kissing, fade-out sensuality, coming-of-age morality topics, or some adult material. (These are often novels published for adults.)
For more information, on each book page, under its rating, please read the reasons each book received its rating and the “books it is similar to” section.
When in doubt: Parents can always read the book first to gauge for themselves its level of appropriateness for their children.
Read Reviews: While most authors abhor 1 and 2-star book reviews, reading such reviews on Amazon.com is a good way for readers to see what other readers complained about. So, if you’re curious about my books, while I absolutely cringe at the idea of sending you to read cruel reviews, ultimately, they are a good way to gauge who I have offended with my content. Then it’s up to you to decide.
